


Water and Fire

by eIiza (todoro)



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Magic, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Other, Trans Character, theres also a cat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-10-22 09:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10694013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/todoro/pseuds/eIiza
Summary: Eliza runs away from home to escape their father, and gets into a bit of trouble on their own. Luckily, John and Alex show up, but whether they're actually helpful is questionable.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning maybe for angry yelling parent and transphobia

So what if  _ that person _ doesn’t agree with them? That’s his loss, his mistake. Eliza kicks a rock down the dirt path to the beach. It rebounds off a tree trunk and disappears into the undergrowth.

Eliza had run away, at least that’s what they’re telling themself. They need a break, from their studies, from their family, from  _ certain people _ with _ certain opinions _ . Their ideal would have been to fall off the radar, just disappear without a trace into the night, but in the end, they wound up at the family vacation house. It’s not true freedom, but they're rolling with it for now.

As the trees thin out, the dirt path gives way to smooth stones and shells, the strong breeze greets them with the familiar scent of ocean salt, and the waves roll lazily as they shimmer in the evening sun. They walk over to the largest piece of driftwood, the one that’s been there as long as they can remember. Crouching down beside it, they brush their fingers over where “Angelica + Eliza + Peggy” is carved into the side.

Eliza told him they were leaving. That was their first mistake. They told their father and he said no, I’m flying you to the beach house and you can stay there until you come to your senses. Their original plan was to walk out the door, head in a direction, and hope that a better plan would make itself known, which is to say, they didn’t have a plan at all. So they packed their bags and got on the plane, ticket paid for by their father in an obvious display of the power he has over them. They can see now, with the surrounding wide expanse of ocean, why he was so ready to send them here. 

Compared to the city, it’s an abundance of water and earth, the supposed feminine elements with which they’re supposed to sustain their magic. From those, water was the one Eliza bound themself to. It’s adaptable, persistent, and given enough time, unstoppable in whatever goal it sets out to achieve. Water felt  _ right _ for Eliza, but alone, it wasn't enough. There was something more, something missing, and they ignored that nagging feeling for the longest time. It wasn’t until they discovered more about the world and themself-- being genderflux, using they/them pronouns; the gender binary not being mandatory, realizing it shouldn’t be mandatory in magic either-- it wasn’t until after all that, that they found out they could align with more than one element.

They discovered fire burning within them, a quiet, consuming passion. Fire, the supposed masculine element. An option they weren’t presented with when picking their alignment so many years ago. Upon reading about others, the great, yet shunned witches who bound themselves to more than one element, they allowed themself to think,  _ what if that were me _ , and then everything fell into place. There was no going back. Later that night they snuck into their father’s hidden library with their sisters in tow and had them perform the fire binding ritual. Water and fire. They finally felt complete.

Their father found out less than a week later. He was furious. 

_ “What makes you think you can go against everything I’ve taught you, everything the Founders have written, and bind yourself to more than one element? Tell me when I was unclear about this being a shameful act! And then you drag your sisters into this, persuade them to perform this disgusting violation of nature…! The binding is irreversible! Did you consider that before going behind my back? And to fire no less. Fire! Have you learned nothing in all my years of teaching you? Fire isn’t meant for girls, Elizabeth- “ _

_ Every scolding word was like a blow to the face. All the years of silently holding back came rushing forward, boiling over, and they yelled back, “I am not a girl!” _

_ He fell silent, fuming, face dark. They stared at each other, neither one breaking eye contact. When he finally spoke, it was quiet and sharp, through gritted teeth, and every word threatened to slip back into a rage. _

_“I see.” He exhales heavily through his nose. “I am going out. And when I come back, I expect you to have forgotten all about this nonsense_ _or I’ll have no choice but to help you forget.”_

_ Then he turned around and left.  _

_ Eliza started packing immediately. _

Now they’re here, surrounded by the ocean, sentenced to solitude until they “come back as a girl, with fire disowned”. 

 

A sudden buzzing, discordant with chimes, startles Eliza out of their thoughts. Attempting to locate the source of the noise, they get up and slowly track the sound closer to the water, finally finding a phone face down on the rocks in front of another piece of driftwood. The phone buzzes in their hand and the screen says “the place to be is calling.” Eliza taps the green answer button on instinct.

Realizing what they just did, they slowly raise the phone to their ear and say, “Hello?”

A lively but gentle voice responds, “Hey! Where are you?”

Taking a moment to figure out how to respond, Eliza blinks, and comes up with, “I’m not the owner of this phone.”

“Right, yes, I know that. Let me- uh, the phone you have is my boyfriend’s and he lost it. Can you tell me where you are so we can come pick it up?”

“Oh! Yes, of course. I’m at the carrot beach, where all the driftwood is.”

The voice comes through more distant, as though addressing someone else. “The beach! The fucking beach, Alex! It’s gonna take us like two hours to get there because of rush hour, fuck!” and then, “Hey, still there?”

“Yup.”

“Can you, I dunno, hide it somewhere? We won’t be there for at least two hours.”

“Actually,” Eliza says, “I live right next to the beach so I can just hang onto it and then meet you here later. It looks like it’s gonna rain so I’m a bit hesitant to leave your phone hidden out here.”

“Would you actually? That’d be amazing, thank you!”

“Yeah, no problem. See you in two hours, then?”

“For sure, for sure. Bye!” and the phone beeps, ending the call.

Eliza stands staring at the phone for a moment, processing what just happened. The lock screen pops up after the call ended, displaying “im gay” in comic sans over a picture of some succulents. A drop of water lands on the screen and Eliza looks up at the clouds. They were right about the rain, and with two hours to kill, they decide to head back to the house and get to work.

 

Back inside the beach house, the rain patters against the old, single pane windows cracked open slightly to let in the rain’s soothing, damp smell. Eliza sits on the floor of the kitchen surrounded by half open jars and boxes of supplies. A tiny cast-iron pot sits on a hot plate in front of them, and in it, they mix together the ingredients for a clarity spell. If all goes well, the right path will make itself clear and they can move forward with purpose. 

It’s not that they feel lost, exactly. More that they’re at a crossroads and want to make the right decision. It’s never a bad idea to have a roadmap, and they’ve been meaning to do this for a while. It’s been on their mind since figuring out their gender, and again when binding themself to fire, but it never felt like the right time. Now it feels too late. The picture perfect ending they’ve been dreaming of won’t ever be reality now that they’ve confirmed their father’s ...disagreement  _ (loathing, disgust)  _ with their identity. but they can still hope. If nothing else, they'd still like to keep their sisters, their biggest supporters, in their life. 

Eliza isn’t one to sit around and feel sorry for themself. With this spell, they’ll figure out what to do next, and it’ll all be okay. In theory. Maybe there’s a way to convince their father that they know themself best, that their gender is real and that ignoring fire’s call for them for so long  _ hurt _ . Maybe there’s an ending where he doesn’t hate them.

After turning the burner off, they ladle the entirety of the pot into a mug. Cupping it in their hands, they close their eyes and take some time to push away all thoughts of their father and abandonment. With every breath in, they draw water’s surrounding energy into their core and fire into their lungs, and with every exhale, they let negative energy out like black smoke piping thick out their mouth. The two energies build up until it’s burning and buzzing in their chest, and they channel the opposing forces down through their arms and out, into the mug. Goosebumps raise along their arms where energy shoots down like electricity, charged, fast. In one final burst, the contents of the mug give out a little purple puff of smoke and Eliza feels like it's ready. Exhaling deeply, they let the excess energy dissipate into the room.

“Be good to me,” they whisper and take a cautious sip before downing the rest of it in one go. For a couple seconds they don't feel any different, but as they lean over their book to check for further instructions, they fall forward onto smaller hands...hands that are covered in short, white fur. They turn their left hand and the paw beneath them moves, revealing a small pink paw pad where their palm should be. 

Eliza’s heart races as they try to think what the fuck happened. Reading over the instructions again, they're certain they didn't miss anything. In an attempt to check their appearance in the hallway mirror, they find themself unable to stand, and realize even propped up on their hands they're barely able to see over the edge of the pot that they were previously bending over. 

This is bad. This is really, really bad. They coordinate their limbs in an awkward crawl toward the hallway, and when they get there, there’s nothing but a cat on other side of the mirror. Eliza stares at the cat, who stares back at them unwaveringly. It takes a second before it dawns on them.

_ That’s me. _

They take a step closer to the mirror. How could this have happened? It’s a simple spell, a beginners spell, and they followed each step to the letter. Or so they thought. Clearly they did something wrong, otherwise they wouldn’t have turned into a cat! 

Maybe this is karma. They’re alone, miles away from help, tiny, with no thumbs. Maybe this is a punishment for running away. For ignoring the rules. Maybe their father is right and they’re just a girl. An ignorant, outcast girl who’s irreversibly double bound their elements. And now they’re a cat. 

Eliza flops to the ground. Thinking negatively won’t do them any good. There has to be some way out of this. What would Peggy do? What would Angelica say? Maybe they can text and ask…

Text. The phone. The one they found. They glance to the clock. The two hours will be up in ten minutes. They need to get back to the beach with the phone. 

Navigating back to the kitchen, each awkward step placed easier than the last, they locate the phone on the floor next to their spell supplies and sigh in relief, glad it wasn't left on the table or counter. 

Now they just need some way of carrying it. Among the jars and boxes and instruments they have scattered around, they spot a resealable bag full of dried lavender. It’s just big enough to fit the phone and they manage to shove it in without too much difficulty. Holding the bag in their mouth, they clumsily climb onto a kitchen chair, the breakfast table, the counter, out the window, and into the downpour.

 

Eliza’s exhausted and soaked by the time they arrive at the beach. The beach’s rocky terrain is uneven and they feel like they’ve been walking for days. No one’s in sight so they settle under the twisting roots of one of the driftwoods, worried that they may have missed the owner of the phone. Gently putting the bag down, they huddle against the roots as tight as they can. The wind off the ocean chills their dripping fur, and the cold sinks into their bones. Part of them wants to just leave the phone here and head back to warmth, but they push that aside, determined to see this through.

The downpour drones on and the wind picks up, spewing rain in Eliza’s previously protected shelter. They attempt to shuffle further under the driftwood, dragging the phone with them. With how old the bag is, they hope the seal is still watertight. Among the pattering rain, Eliza picks up voices.

“I don’t see anyone here.”

“Maybe we should call.”

That must be them. Eliza forces themself to snake out from their hiding place, exposing themself to the biting wind, and carries the phone out from their hiding place. Alerting the men to their presence, they try to call out, but their attempt results in a garbage disposal noise. Eliza shuffles back into the roots, away from the rain and the wind, but not before they’re spotted.

“There’s a cat!”

The two men approach and one crouches down a couple feet from Eliza, holding his hand out.

“Here kitty, kitty,” he coos, while the other bends over to pick up the bag.

“John, it’s my phone.”

“What, in the bag?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh. Maybe they had to go somewhere so they bagged it up,” says the man, still motioning for Eliza to come forward.

“Maybe. Not sure about the flowers though.”

Eliza considers approaching the man, John. Cold and wet and exhausted, the thought of stumbling back home in the pouring rain, uphill this time, feels nearly impossible. The men probably parked in the beach lot, which means they’ll take the same path that goes by Eliza’s house...they’ll just have to jump down and run when they get there.

Eliza slinks forward and touches John’s fingertips with their nose and he doesn’t move, just looks down at them absolutely elated. Not sure how to get him to pick them up, they try to meow again, and this time it sounds a bit closer to a cat noise, but it’s still warbled nonsense. They lean on their back legs, put their front paws on his hand and warble again.

“Alex, I think this cat is sick,” John says, looking up at Alex.

Alex looks to him, then to Eliza, then back to him, and sighs. “You want to take it home?”

John flashes a smile, “You know me so well.”

He pulls his scarf off and slowly drapes it over Eliza and scoops them into his arms, holding them against his chest. Bundled in safety and the warm scent of John, Eliza is suddenly overcome with exhaustion. They can feel John talking, a soothing thrum in his chest, and they close their eyes for just a moment. Each step is gentle rocking, and Eliza slips off to sleep, secure in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's part one!  
> please leave kudos if you liked it!  
> comment with a kitty face :3 if you loved it!  
> or message me at freshmangotea.tumblr.com  
> stay tuned for more soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Alex is driving them home and John whispers, “Kitty fell asleep.”

Alex glances over to peek at the small face, only to get distracted by his boyfriend. John gets a certain way around animals. The gentle smile on his face and the way he cradles the sleeping cat betrays a hint of the soft, protective side he usually keeps hidden. Alex thinks it’s adorable.

“The light is green, Alex. Watch the road,” John teases.

“You were the one showing me the cat while I’m driving!” Alex complains.

John chuckles. Eyes ahead, Alex asks, “So what’s the game plan? Because last time-”

“Last time was an anomaly!” John cuts him off. “Let’s not talk about last time.”

“Alright so,  _ this time _ , what are you gonna do?”

“We’re gonna find the owner, call the SPCA, and put up posters, that kind of thing.”

“Aaaand..?” Alex prompts.

“And I’m not naming the cat,” John pouts, resigned. 

“Good-”

“So we’re gonna call it Kitty.”

“ _ John _ . That’s naming the cat. You just named the cat. I can’t believe you.”

“It’s not a name! No one would call their cat  _ Kitty _ .”

“Someone somewhere would! And that someone is you, John. I’m calling it now, this is going to end exactly how it did last time.”

“No, it’s not!”

“I’m just saying,” Alex says, as he pulls into a parking space and turns off the car. “You wanna sit here while I grab the cat food?”

“Yeah,” John replies, “Don’t want to risk Kitty waking up while we’re in the store.”

“Alright,” Alex leans over to kiss John’s shoulder. “I’ll be quick.”

 

-Eliza-

Eliza stirs slowly, bundled in something soft and warm. Opening their eyes, they expect to see Peggy still huddled under the covers, in the other bed in their shared room. Except Peggy isn’t there. Something in their brain clicks and then memories the argument they had with their father comes flooding back. Their face gets hot thinking back on their defiance and consequent banishment, and they shake the memory off. They can think about it later, because they’re...they’re not in the beach house either.

Their attempt to sit upright fails, every muscle aching in protest, their head spinning. They’re exhausted even after sleep, and the taunt of a memory dances on the edge of their awareness. There’s something they’re forgetting but they can’t quite place it. And then they catch a glimpse of their tail. The spell. Their transformation. The men with the phone.

Eliza realizes where they are.

Filtered through walls, they can hear water running. Getting up, four-paw style this time, they take in their surroundings. There’s a bed, a desk, a bookshelf, and a shut door. The bronze spine of a book catches their eye and they wander over to the shelf, curious about its familiarity. Upon closer inspection, they discover it’s the rule book for practicing magic. Are these people witches? Sometimes older versions of magic texts can be found in secondhand shops, so there’s a chance it’s just a fluke… Either way, maybe there’s something in the book that can help.

 

-Alex-

Alex slinks into his bedroom in just his binder and pants, towel draped over his head, careful not to open the door too wide in case the cat tries to escape. Door shut, he finds Kitty standing over a book staring at him.

“Hey, Kitty,” Alex greets, pulling the towel off his head and tossing it on the bedpost. “I need…” he continues, rummaging through a pile of clothes on his desk chair, “...a clean shirt.”

All his and John’s clean laundry are yet to be put away, and all he can find are John’s clothes until, “Aha! Found it.”

Slipping it on, he turns to showcase it to Kitty. “Look, it’s got a cat on it, just like you! Except this one’s shooting lasers out of its eyes at helicopters.”

Noticing the book on the floor, Alex wanders over slowly to avoid startling the cat. 

“Whatcha reading, Kitty?” Alex asks jokingly. It’s open to a page titled  _ What To Do When Spells Go Wrong _ . Alex frowns and picks it up to read the cover.

“I’ve never seen this before,” he mutters. “It must be John’s.”

Placing the book back on the floor, he gets up, stretches, and realizes he has nothing left to procrastinate his work with. Eyeing the pile on the chair, he  _ could _ fold laundry, but if he leaves it, there’s a chance John will end up doing it...

He scoops up the mound of clothes and tosses it on the bed, then sits down and gets to work on his laptop.

 

He’s about a thousand words over the limit when he feels a gentle nudging on his leg, Kitty pawing at him.

“You wanna watch me work?” he asks, amused. Kitty responds by bouncing up on its hind legs, leaning on his knee with its front, so he lifts the cat onto his lap. John didn’t find any injuries when they first got home, its fur is looking healthy and it’s not at all malnourished, but Alex still can’t help but wonder why the owner would let their cat out in the pouring rain. It could have been an accident, but he didn’t see anyone searching on their way to the beach or the way back-

He loses his train of thought when Kitty starts climbing up onto his desk and onto his keyboard. Alex pick it up and places it back on his lap.

“No, Kitty, that’s my work. It’s not for you,” Alex tries explaining, but Kitty is already climbing onto his desk again. Alex sighs and lets it explore, hoping it’s curiosity will be sated once it gets to where it wants to go. To his surprise, Kitty sits in front of his keyboard and baps at the keys with purpose. It’s so unexpected and enchanting that he doesn’t think to stop it from typing into the document he’s been working on for days. Then Kitty’s looking back at him expectantly, and on the screen, the cursor flashes next to the written  _ tyell john m a witch. _

Alex groans. That did not just happen.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” he mumbles and pulls out his phone, taking a picture of what Kitty just typed out. Staring at the picture, he whispers, “Fuck, it’s real... I guess this is it. This is how I die.”

Turning to the cat, he says his farewell, “Nice knowing you, Kitty. I’ll see you on the other side.” He tries to laugh it off but it cascades into a groan. It shouldn’t be possible, but that’s what his eyes present to him. His fingers are bringing up John’s name in his contact list before he registers them moving, and he hits the little call button. His thumb hovers over the speaker button before he decides to hit that too, flashing a smile at the cat.

John answers on the third ring. “Hey babe, what’s up?”

“I’m dying, John. I may, in fact, already be dead. Maybe the cat’s an angel. Or the reaper.”

“What are you talking about? Are you okay?”

“My brain finally gave up on me. I never thought it’d be in the form of a talking cat but I never thought I’d live to be this old anyway so, what do I know? It’s like a bonus prize.  _ You lived longer than we expected so have a cool death, Alex. Good on you. _ ”

“Wait, slow down. What happened? Kitty spoke to you?” John’s voice comes through increasingly concerned.

“Actually, they typed out a message on my computer and told me to tell you they’re a witch. A witch is more like the reaper than an angel-  _ Oh my god it's gonna kill me _ .”

“No, Alex, you’re safe, okay? Kitty doesn’t have a scythe so it can’t be a reaper. You’re safe, you’re okay.”

Alex looks at the cat. There’s no scythe.

John keeps talking, “I think Kitty might be telling the truth though.”

“...What?”

“Kitty might be a,” John pauses. “A real person?”

Alex can’t help but giggle and then bursts out laughing. “This is a joke, right? A prank? Holy shit, John, I thought it was real! I don’t know how you taught the cat to type but, wow.”

“No, Alex, I’m being serious. This sounds fake but, uh, magic is real. If Kitty can type then I’m pretty sure they really are a witch.”

Alex says nothing. A breath in. A breath out.

John continues, “I’m almost home, okay? I’ll explain when I get there. See you soon.”

“See you,” Alex says in a soft voice, and hangs up.

Resting his head on the desk, he looks up at the cat. “So...you’re not a cat?”

Kitty nods.

“Hnnnnnng, wow. Okay, uh. Hi,” he smiles as best he can. None of this seems real and he’s pretty sure he’s dissociating, but John seemed so serious about it. He’ll be home soon and help sort it out, Alex reminds himself. Just roll with it until then. His mouth decides rolling with it means making polite conversation.

“Everything so far must have been interesting for you,” and then he realizes, “oh fuck, you saw me shirtless.”

This cat that’s not a cat, this stranger, saw him in his binder. He’s not out to anyone here except John. His brain is setting off alarms filtered through the fog of unreality, but before he can figure out what to do about it, Kitty is typing at his keyboard again:   _ eliza threy./tgem _

Alex squints at the screen from his perch, not sure how to lift his head. “Eliza, threy...they, them? Oh! You’re...!” Nonbinary, trans like him. The alarm in his head quiets down. Whether this is real or not, he decides he likes them, this cat who came out to placate his worry. He feels a bit safer, a bit more real.

Alex says in a soft voice, “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you, I really appreciate it. I’m Alexander, he, him.”

Eliza smiles at him and offers him their paw. Alex knows it’s meant to be a handshake, but takes it in his hand and gently presses his lips to it instead.

“Ah...I thought maybe it’s one of those curses you can lift with a kiss. But we’d have to fall in love first, wouldn’t we?” he laughs and winks at Eliza. “I guess that’s plan B.”

 

-John-

“So let me get this straight,” Alex strokes his beard, sitting at the desk chair. “Magic is real.”

“Yup,” John affirms from his spot on the bed.

“You’re both witches,” Alex continues, then to John he says, “You’ve been magic  _ this whole time _ and you never told me?”

A pang of guilt clutches at John’s chest. “I haven’t been hiding it,” he excuses, pointing to the magic book still on the floor. “My stuff is all over the place. Technically, you’re the one who never asked.”

That wasn’t the right answer, wasn’t the one he’s been meaning to give. Alex rolls his eyes but he’s right. John’s been keeping a huge secret. There’s no merit in blaming Alex for not guessing at what he shouldn’t know exists. John pushes away his feelings and changes the subject.

“So, Eliza,” he nervously worries the hem of his shirt. “How did you turn into a cat?”

Eliza baps at the keyboard and Alex reads aloud, “Spell gone wrong.”

It almost sounds like Alex is hurt. Is he mad at him? Ignoring it, John asks, “Which one were you trying to do?”

“They say clarity.”

“Huh.” He still can’t tell if Alex is upset. “Well...do you want me to try an error fix spell?” John offers.

Eliza nods enthusiastically.

“Alright.”

John tries to distract himself finding the right book. Pulling it off the shelf and flipping through the pages, he gets nervous about performing the spell in front of Alex. What if...he resents John’s magic, or thinks it weird? How will he react if something goes wrong? John’s emotions are going to affect the spell and this stress can easily turn it sour. That wouldn’t be fair to Eliza…

If Alex was mad, he would show it, right? He glances up at Alex. There’s only one way to move forward if he really wants to help Eliza. 

“Alex,” he lets out before he can change his mind. Alex looks up. “Can I talk to you for a second?” 

Alex gets up and John pulls him out into the hall. “We’ll be back, Eliza.”

“What’s up?” Alex asks.

“Do you...do you resent me for not telling you? I was planning on it but I…”

“What? No! I’m not mad. Why would I be mad?”

“Are you sure? You sounded kind of upset, I dunno,” John looks away.

Alex grabs his hands. “I’m not upset! I promise it’s okay John. It’s a lot to take in, if I’m being honest, but none of that is me being upset, okay?”

John nods. “Okay.”

“Good.” Alex takes John’s face in his hands and plants a kiss on each cheek. Pulling him into a hug, Alex whispers, “Love you, magic man.”

John giggles, knowing it really is okay. “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading stay tuned for more!!
> 
> kudos if you liked it!   
> comment ur favourite line if you loved it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gently posts this without editing

Energy swirls around them, guided by the carefully arranged charms they sit among. They can feel the spell reaching it’s peak, and John’s energy- they’re having difficulty placing the alignment- comes through in one final burst and the spell is done. From signature of the spell, they can tell it worked, but John is frowning down at them. They’re still a cat.

“Why didn’t that work?” John says, frustrated.

“How is it supposed to work?” asks Alex.

John explains, “It’s an error negation spell, it corrects any mistakes made. It’s usually used when beginners make mistakes, especially with bigger side effects, and clarity is a beginner spell, so… Even if the full transformation isn’t reversible, I still expected...I dunno...something to happen...”

Eliza trails over to a corner of the room and flops down with a sigh.

 

Magic has not been on their side. Things going sideways once can be passed off as a coincidence, but twice feels like condemnation. It’s the universe making sure they know they fucked up with a bright, glaring neon sign.

Their father would know how to fix this. From the beginning of Eliza’s training, he’s been the one to fix their mistakes, correct what went wrong, give them a second chance, but they went against him, turned their back on the one person they know can help. Maybe it’s the elements telling them to go home, be the obedient little-

The thought of conceding makes them sick to their stomach. They don’t want to believe giving up is what they’re meant to do. If they go back...If they don’t stand up for themself, no one else will. It’s one thing to live in secret to keep themself safe, but now that it’s out, now that he knows… They can’t go back. Even if it means living the rest of their life as a cat, they can’t go back. 

If they could just figure out some kind of plan, they could, at the very least, pretend they have an ounce of control over anything that’s happening. But the only list they can come up with is getting back to human somehow, returning to the beach house, and then...figuring out the rest when they get there. The problem being, they have no idea how to achieve the first item. 

It’s hopeless. This is all a huge mistake. They never should have left home. They never should have bound to fire or tried to do anything with their gender. Double binding is frowned upon for a reason. Why did they think they’d be exempt from the rules? Not even John or Alex have any clue on how to proceed. Alex is pacing with a concentrated look on his face, and John is sitting backwards on the desk chair, reading some book and clicking his pen rapidly.

Noticing their attention, John asks, “How are you doing?”

Eliza attempts the most deadpan expression they can muster, and it must have come through because John says, “Right, you can’t talk.”

Still pacing, Alex suggests, “Is there a spell that lets animals talk?”

“I’ll check,” John offers, and starts paging through his book.

Eliza rubs at their face. They want to believe it’s gonna be okay.

 

There’s a spark and a pop in the air as the spell finishes. It smells almost burnt John and Alex stare at them expectantly.

“Did it work?” John asks, toying with the pen in his hands nervously.

Eliza clears their throat. “Um…” They can feel the energy of John’s magic buzzing in their throat and dancing on their tongue, filtered by intention. His energy signature already feels familiar, safe.

“I...I think so?” 

John’s face melts with relief, but Alex just stares, stone faced.

“That-” Alex starts, then rubs at his mouth. “You...”

John takes his arm and asks, “You okay, Alex?”

He rests his head against John’s shoulder and Eliza can barely hear him mumble, “Yeah, I’m just, like, I knew that was what we were trying to do, but it’s another thing entirely to see it happen. I think I’m dissociating? I just need to...get used to it.”

“You wanna sit down?”

“Yeah,” Alex mumbles, and John leads him to the chair. Alex rests his head against John, who has one hand around the back of Alex’s neck.

“Super cool that you got it to work,” Alex says into John’s shirt. “Proud of you.”

John smiles, eyes soft and gentle. “Thanks, babe.”

 

Staying in Alex and John’s apartment is... interesting. The first thing they noticed is how  _ domestic _ it is. The two are a couple, and very openly affectionate in their private home, and it would feel like third wheeling except they are so open and inviting toward Eliza that it doesn’t feel awkward at all.

In between the time spent searching for a cure, they do things like leave the tv on for Eliza and if something interesting comes on, one of both of them will just join them on the couch. Sometimes, somehow, they find themself curl up on someone’s chest, the other gently stroking them to sleep. It’s soft and nice and helps distract from their predicament and how much they miss their sisters.

Sometimes Eliza wonders if they’re so nonchalant about extending affection toward them because they look like a cat. Maybe, on some level, they still think of Eliza as the stray they initially thought they were. Except, their words and actions don’t reflect that attitude. The boys are very careful about checking where their boundaries are and asking permission. It’s a gentle, welcoming familiarity even though they only just met. They feel safe.

So when, after waking up one morning, Eliza tracks their voices to the washroom, they have no reservations pushing in past the half-open door.

John’s sitting on the sink counter, taunting Alex, “I bet you can’t do it.”

“Yes I can!” Alex insists from his seat on the edge of the bathtub, holding a needle just above his thigh.

“I won’t believe it ‘til I see it, Alex, and, I don’t mean to alarm you but, I am definitely not seeing it.”

“You know what? Fuck you,” Alex retorts, popping the needle in. He makes a strained noise.

“You’re doing good, babe, keep going,” John says gently, then notices Eliza hovering in the doorway. “Oh hey, this is just...this is normal. It’s for- He can’t get his t in unless I bully him into doing it.”

“Hey, it works,” Alex says, slapping a bandaid on. Eliza finds it strangely endearing.

“How long have you been on? If you don’t mind me asking,” Eliza wonders, now perched on the closed toilet lid.

“About two years, maybe?” Alex answers.

“Two years, yeah,” John confirms. “You started around the time I figured out I’m agender and that was two years and a couple months ago.”

“Woah, so long ago,” Eliza says in awe. “I’ve only known I’m genderflux for a couple months now.”

Alex nods. “That’s a good gender. Gender-rating experts say ten out of ten.”

“If only everyone thought so,” Eliza sighs.

The boys both look at Eliza expectantly. “This sounds like a story,” Alex prompts.

“Oh just, my father. I came out to him accidentally and he kind of banished me until I’m a  _ cis girl _ with a  _ normal _ alignment. Which is just… blehh.”

“Yikes,” John says.

Alex adds, “That fucking sucks, dude. Also...alignment?”

“It’s a magic thing where you choose an element to base your magic off of,” Eliza explains.

“Oh!” John exclaims suddenly. “I figured it out! I’ve been having so much trouble trying to place your alignment but it’s because you’re double bound, aren’t you? Water and fire?”

Eliza looks away, heart quickening. “Yeah, I sure did that.” 

_ And it ruined my life,  _ they don’t add. They redirect the subject, asking John, “What’s your alignment, then? I’ve been having trouble reading it as well.”

John lets out a small laugh. “That may be because I’m unaligned. No gender, no alignment, right? I uh, had similar trouble with my dad, except he tried to force an alignment on me.”

“That’s terrible…” Eliza says.

“I hate that guy,” Alex growls.

“It’s fine now, I’m over it.”

Eliza asks, “You’re on good terms now?”

John laughs again, a bit more drained this time. “No, I left and we haven’t spoken since.”

Eliza’s heart sinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos if you liked it  
> comment a hi5 if u believe


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